Originally Posted by Oceanbound222
Someone in a recent travel report stated as she boarded her plane, she noticed it was "filthy and dented" on the outside.
Is this unusual? How often are the outside of planes scrubbed and cleaned?
I don't know about dirty, but even very small dents on the aerodynamic surfaces of the aircraft (for example, the leading edges of the wings) can have a dramatic effect on aircraft fuel consumption.
I seem to remember reading that a dent the size of a nickel on the leading edge of a wing could add 2% to the fuel consumption on a typical flight.